Jackie Chan whose martial arts themed films have won applause from audiences around the world has spoken on a televised debate in Hong Kong, where he said that Chinese people must present a united front to the outside world about the achievements of modern China.

Reflecting on Chinese history that is both very ancient but at the same time whose recent experiences have seen the re-birth of a modern nation, Chan described the United States as the “most corrupt” nation on earth, while saying that China continues to fight corruption and is making great progress as a whole.

In this sense, Chan makes an astute observation that in spite of China being one of the world’s oldest civilisations, in the 20th century, it was not until the Deng Xiaoping era that the tumult of post-war recovery began paying off and that furthermore it has only been in the last decade or so, that Chinese people have experienced a Renaissance in living standards in what will soon be the richest country on earth.

During the interview, Chan said,

“If our own countrymen don’t support our country, who will support our country? We know our country has many problems. We talk about it when the door is closed. To outsiders, (we ought to say) ‘our country is the best”.

The interview has turned heads, mainly due to Chan’s unfavourable view of the political and financial system in the United States. As someone with experiences in pre-1997 Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and the United States, his remarks make for a very instructive listening.